During abdominal operations it is ordinarily necessary to push the gastrointestinal canal aside to keep the place at which the operation is performed free and easily accessible. With this end in view, it is well known to maintain the intestines in a fixed position by utilizing liquid-absorbing cotton sheets and wound retractors which are manually held during the operation by one or more nurses assisting the surgeon.
The use of such cotton sheets and wound retractors present several drawbacks. Thus, the use of cotton sheets does not prevent the retracted intestines from being gradually released and causing inconvenience to the surgeon because the assistants gradually get tired of holding the cotton sheets and wound retractors or because the cotton sheets, due to their limited liquid absorption capacity, from time to time have to be replaced with new cotton sheets. The replacement of the cotton sheets not only delays the surgical operation but may also result in the operation is not performed at the most suitable time.
Furthermore, small particles may be released from the cotton sheets into the body cavity, which are then difficult to remove.
The object of the present invention is to provide a surgical device for use in body cavities and for maintaining organs, such as intestines, in a fixed position during an operation without the aid of assisting personnel and without damaging the organs.